Department for Transport

Dangerous Driving

lord blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to consult on proposals for the introduction of new criminal offences related to causing death by reckless and dangerous cycling; and if so, whether the penalties for those offences would be the same as for the equivalent driving offences.

lord callanan: Protecting pedestrians and all road users is a top priority. We have some of the safest roads in the world but are always looking at ways to make them safer. There already are road traffic offences that apply to cyclists and they can then be prosecuted if they commit those offences. The Department is carefully considering the implications of the recent tragic case of Mrs Briggs who died after a collision with a cyclist, including whether current legislation is adequate.

Invalid Vehicles: Pedestrian Areas

lord blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to restrict the (1) size, (2) weight, and (3) speed, ofmobility scooters that are permitted to be used on pavements; and how many injuries have been caused to pedestrians by users of mobility scooters in each of the last five years.

lord callanan: We have no plans to restrict the size, weight or speed of mobility scooters permitted to be used on pavements. Below is a table showing the number of reported accidents, by severity, involving mobility scooter in Great Britain: 2011-2015. It is important to note that the number of police forces who have provided data has changed over time, so the data below is not comparable between years in terms of national trends in the number of accidents.   Accident severityYear*KilledSeriousSlightTotal 20110641020121176684201352612515620149461532082015847167222 *Number of police forces providing data: 2011=1, 2012=12, 2013=22, 2014=27, 2015=31  The second table below gives the number of reported casualties in accidents involving mobility scooters from 2011-2015. The information has been broken down to separate mobility scooter riders from all other casualties involved in these accidents. It is important to note that the number of police forces who have provided data has changed over time, so the data below is not comparable between years in terms of national trends in the number of casualties.  Number of reported casualties, by severity, involving mobility scooter in Great Britain: 2011-2015Mobility scooter riderOther casualties   Casualty severityCasualty severityYear*KilledSeriousSlightTotalKilledSeriousSlightTotal 20110415023520121114355062632201351710212409314020149371171630946552015839127174084553 *Number of police forces providing data: 2011=1, 2012=12, 2013=22, 2014=27, 2015=31

Roads: Accidents

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their policy on the recording of road traffic accidents as serious rather than fatal when death occurs at a later stage.

lord callanan: The Department for Transport’s STATS19 data collection system for road casualty statistics follows a common internationally agreed definition on fatalities. For statistical purposes, the definition of a fatal road casualty is restricted to casualties who sustain injuries leading to death less than 30 days after the accident. This is the common international definition, adopted by the Vienna Convention in 1968 to allow for satisfactory international comparisons of road accident statistics.

Roundabouts: Traffic Lights

lord mawson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the effectiveness of traffic lights on roundabouts reducing congestion across England.

lord callanan: Provision of traffic lights is the responsibility of each local traffic authority. It is for them to decide if lights are required at roundabout junctions on their network, taking into account local circumstances such as accident records, traffic flows and road layout. The Department for Transport recommends local authorities regularly review sites to revise timings as needed and to ensure the use of signal control is still appropriate.

Great Western Railway Line: Electrification

lord rosser: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in light of recent decisions to reduce the previously announced intended extent of route electrification of the Great Western franchise, what additional payment will have to be made to Hitachi to reflect the consequential increase in the use of the diesel engine in the bi-modal train.

lord callanan: The Department for Transport is currently in discussions to amend the Great Western Main Line Intercity Express contract. The specific detail of these discussions remains commercially confidential.

Great Western Railway Line

lord rosser: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, for the bi-modal trains running under the Great Western franchise, the switch from diesel to electric and vice versa will occur whilst the train is on the move, and if so, whether at full speed, or slow speed, or whether the switch will be made whilst the train is in a station or otherwise not moving.

lord callanan: Intercity Express Trains running on the Great Western Main Line will be able to switch seamlessly between electric and diesel mode whilst on the move and whilst stationary. The speed of train during that power change will depend on the line speed at that location.

Isles of Scilly: Transport

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much investment has been made in the last five years in (1) St Mary's harbour, (2) Penzance harbour, (3) Land's End Airport, and (4) St Mary's airport, for transport to and from the Isles ofScilly; and what amounts within those total investments were from (a) HM Government, (b) European funds, and (c) the private sector.

lord callanan: The Government has invested £6.1m in the £11.7m project to improve the quays at St Mary’s and dredge Penzance Harbour to improve the sea connections between the Isles of Scilly and the mainland for passengers and freight. The project also benefited from £5.6m of European Regional Development Funding. The project was promoted by Cornwall Council and was completed in 2016. Land’s End and St Mary’s airports have also been upgraded with the assistance of European Regional Development Funding totalling £6.8m, which included works (completed in 2014) to improve the runways at both airports. The Government does not maintain a record of private sector investment in the above facilities.

Public Transport: Accidents

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to establish an impartial body to investigate serious incidents involving public transport on the roads, similar to the services providedin relation torail by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch and the Office of Road and Rail.

lord callanan: There are no current plans to establish a new body to investigate serious incidents involving public transport on the roads as there are well-established collision investigation units within the police service and effective ways in place to report the conclusions and outcomes. The department currently supports the police STATS-19 collision reporting system and directly funds a programme of detailed investigation under the Road Accident in-depth Study in conjunction with police forces, coroners and several hospitals.

Community Transport: Licensing

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have undertaken an impact assessment of the effect on individuals and communities unable to access conventional bus services of their proposals to require community transport operators to hold a conventional PCV operator's licence.

lord callanan: Not all community transport operators are required to hold a PSV operator’s licence. This only applies to operators who do not fit into one of the relevant exemptions to EU Regulation 1071/2009, which has applied in the UK since 2011. We will consult on the issue and use of section 19 and section 22 permits later this year. The consultation will be accompanied by an Impact Assessment focussing on the potential effects for operators who use permits.We are working with community transport and local authority organisations to understand better the potential impacts.

Southern

baroness smith of basildon: To ask Her Majesty's Government when ministers last (1) met,and (2) had discussions with, representatives of Southern Rail.

lord callanan: My Hon Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, the Hon Member for Blackpool North and Cleveleys (Paul Maynard MP) as Rail Minister met with GTR in June and the Secretary of State met with GTR in July.

Southern

baroness smith of basildon: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations ministers have received regarding passenger services on Southern Rail.

lord callanan: Ministers receive numerous representations about Southern Rail from individuals and organisations – through both formal and informal channels. The government is committed to making sure passengers receive the reliable, high quality services on Southern they deserve, and I am encouraged that the Public Performance Measure of punctuality is currently at 82% compared to 62% in early December 2016.

Southern

baroness smith of basildon: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey havemade of the quality of passenger services on Southern Rail.

lord callanan: The quality of passenger services on Southern Rail has been significantly better since the New Year with the Public Performance Measure of punctuality currently at 82%, compared to 62% in early December 2016. The latest National Rail Passenger Survey showed a 7% increase in overall journey satisfaction on Southern Rail compared with the previous survey.

Palace of Westminster: Official Cars

lord marlesford: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to instruct drivers of ministerial cars not to keep their engines running when parked in Speaker's Court.

lord callanan: Government Car Service drivers are given a clear instruction not to keep engines running whilst parked and regular reminders are sent out on this subject.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Non-domestic Rates: Valuation

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are planning to take to prevent or limit any negative impact on small businesses from the Valuation Office Agency's decisions (1) to class communal spaces such as staircases, corridors and lifts as separate premises for the calculation of business rates, and (2) to bill businesses for this change retrospectively.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The recent change in the Valuation Office Agency’s approach to assessing units within multi-occupied buildings follows a Supreme Court judgement. The Government is considering the implications of this judgement, including for small businesses. Following Budget 2016, the Government announced a wide-ranging package of measures to support rate payers, that will be worth £9 billion over the next five years.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Lighting

lord blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government who made the decision to replace the lightbulb classification system from watts to lumens; and whether they intend to review that classification system once the UK leaves the EU.

lord prior of brampton: No decision has been made to replace lightbulb classification from watts to lumens. The “luminous efficacy” of lightbulbs has for many years internationally been measured in lumens (measure of brightness) per watt (measure of power). This is the ratio of light out /energy in. There are currently information requirements placed on suppliers of lightbulbs that require the packaging to display the equivalent Watts of the lumen rating. However, as the demand for LEDs increases in the UK, lumens per watt is becoming a more appropriate measure of a lamp’s effectiveness in converting electricity to light.

Small Businesses: Government Assistance

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the monetary benefit to individual small and medium-sized enterprises from support provided under the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015.

lord prior of brampton: At around 5.5m, small and medium-sized businesses comprise 99.9% of UK businesses. The Government recognises the importance of small and medium-sized businesses and the valuable contribution that they make to our economy.To avoid overburdening businesses the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 has, amongst other things, reduced regulatory burdens, improved payment practices across the public sector and improved access to finance.In many instances it would be difficult to quantify the monetary benefit directly attributable to the support provided under the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015, rather than by other business activities.

Hinkley Point C Power Station

baroness jones of moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have contractually guaranteed a minimum level of energy production from the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station that consumers or the National Grid will buy in 2030, even if that energy is not needed due to the growth of renewable energy and home energy storage; and, if so, what that level is.

lord prior of brampton: The Government has not contractually agreed a minimum level of energy production from the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station. The Contract for Difference (CfD), agreed on October 2016, is an agreement to pay the generator the difference between the wholesale market price and a “strike price” for every megawatt hour of electricity they generate. It is the generator’s responsibility to sell their power in the wholesale market.

Hinkley Point C Power Station

baroness jones of moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have contractually guaranteed a minimum level of subsidy to Hinkley Point C nuclear power station for providing back-up energy capacity; and, if so, (1) what that level is, and (2) whether this will be funded by taxes or by users through their energy bills.

lord prior of brampton: The Government has not contractually agreed a minimum level of subsidy to Hinkley Point C nuclear power station for providing back up energy capacity. System balancing decisions are for the system operator, who may choose to contract with HPC in the 2020s as with any other system user, but no such contracts are currently in place.

Hinkley Point C Power Station

baroness jones of moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether consumers and households who do not use grid electricity will have to pay for any of the electricity produced by Hinkley Point C nuclear power station.

lord prior of brampton: No, consumers and households who do not use grid electricity will not pay for any of the electricity produced by Hinkley Point C nuclear power station.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Burma: Military Aid

lord ahmed: To ask Her Majesty's Government whetherthey are contributing funds from the UK development aid budget towards the cost of training the Myanmar military; and if so, how much.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: No UK development aid is used to fund the educational courses focused on governance, accountability, ethics, human rights and international law which we provide to the Burmese military. These courses are funded from the Conflict, Security and Stability Fund.

North Korea: Weapons

lord campbell of pittenweem: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of North Korea in relation to that country's programmes for the development of missiles and nuclear weapons.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: On 5 September the Minister for Asia and the Pacific summoned the North Korean ambassador to condemn North Korea's nuclear test on 3 September. He emphasised that North Korea's continued development of nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities was reckless, posed a threat to international peace and security, increased regional tension and hindered the prospects for lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. Ministers and our Embassy in Pyongyang have made the same points on many occasions to the North Korean authorities.

Sanctions: Burma

the lord bishop of coventry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the introduction of financial and travel sanctions against senior Burmese military officials following the Burmese military's recent offensive in Rakhine State.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​EU trade, financial and targeted sanctions on Burma were lifted in April 2013, but EU Restrictive measures were retained and renewed this year with UK support. These measures are kept under review. Our focus for the moment is on providing humanitarian assistance, urging restraint by the security forces in Rakhine and a de-escalation of tensions.

Syria: Overseas Aid

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what types of assistance they provided to the Syrian opposition between 2015 and the latest date for which figures are available; which factions associated with the Free Syrian Army received that assistance; what was the nature of that assistance; and what was the cost.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Through the cross-government Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) for Syria the UK is supporting those groups opposed to Daesh and Assad as well as Syrian civilians and their communities. This support to the moderate opposition has included political support and non-lethal equipment. In terms of equipment, we have provided communications, medical and logistics equipment. We have also provided equipment to protect against chemical weapons attack. For security reasons we do not disclose the names of groups supported. The UK does not supply weapons to anybody in Syria. The value of the CSSF for Syria is £69 million in the current financial year, was £64 million in 2016-17, and £66 million in 2015-16.

Syria: Overseas Aid

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the source of their funding for the Syrian opposition since 2015; and whether those funds were provided from the internationaldevelopment budget.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Through our Conflict, Stability and Security Fund the UK is providing over £60 million annually to support those groups opposed to Daesh and Assad as well as Syrian civilians and their communities. This is a cross-government fund run by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development and the Ministry of Defence. The majority of this spend is Official Development Assistance. Through this fund, we are helping to meet the needs of Syrian communities by supporting local governance, the delivery of key services (including education, basic policing and search and rescue services) and livelihoods in areas controlled by the moderate opposition.

IRA: Libya

lord tebbit: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they (1) have taken, and (2) intend to take, to support UK victims of IRA attacks that used Gaddafi-supplied Semtexand weapons.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Foreign Secretary raised the issue of compensation for the victims of Qadhafi-sponsored IRA terrorism during his meeting with Prime Minister Serraj in Tripoli on 4 May 2017 and again on his most recent visit in August. He emphasised again the importance the UK places on this issue and encouraged the Libyan authorities to engage with UK victims' groups and their representatives. Prime Minister Serraj expressed sympathy with those who had suffered from the previous regime, but it was also clear from his discussion with the Foreign Secretary that the Libyan Government continues to face numerous challenges and that progress on the issue of compensation is likely to remain slow. We continue to make clear to the Libyan authorities that this is a priority issue for the UK. We will continue to raise the subject of legacy at every opportunity.

Egypt: Aviation

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government which countries have (1) reinstated flights to and from Sharm-el-Sheikh, and (2) not reinstatedflightsto and from Sharm-el-Sheikh; and what steps they are taking to develop satisfactory security arrangements with the Egyptian government.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Those EU countries that suspended flights to Sharm el-Sheikh but have now returned are: Belgium, Denmark, Poland, Germany, Hungary. The EU countries that are yet to return to Sharm following the suspension are: UK, Austria, Switzerland. Turkey and Ukraine have also resumed flights.The UK and Russia contributed the largest volume of flights by far to the resort; neither have reinstated flights. Russian airlines do not fly to any Egyptian airports. Flights from the UK continue to other Egyptian airports.Our officials have regular discussions with UK airlines and others about flights from Sharm el-Sheikh.Government aviation security experts continue to work closely with their Egyptian counterparts on the ground, sharing their expertise in establishing effective security arrangements.We look forward to achieving the return of flights to Sharm el-Sheikh, once we can be assured of the necessary security.

Syria: Politics and Government

marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of President Bashar al-Assad in the future of Syria; and whetherthey intend to make any change to their policy.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Assad's regime bears overwhelming responsibility for the suffering of the Syrian people. His oppression has caused untold human suffering, fuelled extremism and terrorism, and created the space for Daesh. We believe there needs to be a transition away from Assad to a government that can protect the rights of all Syrians, unite the country and end the conflict. It is for Syrians to decide how that happens, as part of a Syrian-led transition process. We will continue to use all diplomatic tools to work for a political solution to the terrible conflict in Syria.

Gaza

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the Israeli government in the light of reports that the Israeli military has instituted a ban on food, toiletries, and electronic devices for Palestinians leaving the Gaza strip.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: While we have not made any representations to the Israeli Government on this issue, we continue to call on Israel to ease restrictions on movement and access.

Sudan: Human Rights

the lord bishop of leeds: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the human rights situation and current levels of humanitarian access in Sudan.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We continue to be concerned by the human rights situation in Sudan. This includes restrictions on freedom of expression, freedom of religion or belief, and sexual and gender based violence, especially in the conflict areas of Darfur, South Kordofan, and Blue Nile.Whilst the release and pardon of six human rights activists by the government of Sudan, including Dr Mudawi Ibrahim Adam, an issue on which the UK actively lobbied the government of Sudan, was a positive development, considerable human rights challenges remain. Sudan is a Foreign and Commonwealth Office Human Rights Priority Country and improving human rights is a key objective in our engagement.The UN states that there has been an improvement in levels of humanitarian access in Sudan, including to previously inaccessible parts of Darfur. We welcome this and encourage the government of Sudan to make further progress on full humanitarian access.

Sudan: Sanctions

the lord bishop of leeds: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the efficacy of sanctions on Sudan.

the lord bishop of leeds: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of the United States regarding the suspension or refinement of sanctions on Sudan.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: There has been a reduction of large scale armed conflict in Sudan, which was a key priority for the British Government. We will continue to support the targeted UN sanctions and arms embargo on Darfur, as well as the EU arms embargo that remains in place across Sudan. We welcome the suspension of US bilateral economic sanctions on Sudan, which, if lifted permanently, will support progress towards economic development. We encourage the government of Sudan to make the required progress in order to enable the permanent lifting of US economic sanctions.

Sudan: Churches

the lord bishop of leeds: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Sudan regarding the demolition of churches built on land that has since been designated for buildings other than places of worship.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The British Government continues to be deeply concerned by reports of the demolition of churches in Sudan. Through the UK-Sudan Strategic Dialogue, and our policy of phased engagement, we continue to raise human rights issues with the government of Sudan and make regular representations on freedom of religion or belief, including in relation to reported church demolitions, most recently during the Archbishop of Canterbury’s visit to Sudan in July.

Attorney General

Hate Crime: Prosecutions

lord vinson: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have issued any guidance to the Crown Prosecution Service concerning the extent to which insults constitute hate crimes.

lord keen of elie: In order for an offence to constitute a “hate crime”, first a “basic” crime has to be committed. There are a number of such possible offences which can be committed by way of an insult, particularly offences under the Public Order Act 1986, the Malicious Communications Act 1988 and the Communications Act 2003.Such offences could be designated as a “hate crime”, if they meet the required criteria for the three strands of hate crime offences – (a) racially and religiously aggravated offences; (b) homophobic, transphobic and biphobic offences and (c) disability hate crime.The Government does not issue legal guidance to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which is independent. The CPS hate crime guidance, which must be followed by all prosecutors, was reviewed and published in June 2017.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

House of Lords: Wines

lord jopling: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Senior Deputy Speaker on 31 July (HL1160), what is the price of the two English wines offered in the House of Lords; and how this compares in each case with the standard House wine on offer.

lord laming: The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chairman of the Services Committee, to respond on his behalf.The price of the English still wine offered in the Peers’ Dining Room and available on request in the Barry Room is £54.00 a bottle. The price of the equivalent standard House of Lords own label wine is £18.00 a bottle. The variance in price arises because the English wine (a pinot noir) has a higher wholesale price, while the House pinot noir is purchased in larger volumes using a long-term contract. The house wine is also sold by the glass at £6.35 for 250ml and £4.80 for 175ml.The price of the English sparkling wine offered in the Peers’ Dining Room and available on request in the Barry Room is £55.00 a bottle. The price of the equivalent House of Lords own label champagne is £47.50 a bottle. Neither is sold by the glass in the dining rooms.

Ministry of Defence

Burma: Military Aid

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether theyintend tosuspend their programme of military training with the Burmese army in the light of its attacks on civilians in Rakhine State.

earl howe: In light of the ongoing violence in Burma's Rakhine State and the growing humanitarian crisis it has caused, the UK Ministry of Defence has decided to suspend all training and educational courses provided to the Burmese military with immediate effect.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Plants: Diseases

lord blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the bacteria Xylella fastidiosa is capable of infecting tree and plant species in the UK; and if so, whether they are taking steps to ban the importation of any goods, produce, plants or other species that could bring the disease into the UK.

lord blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the EU Food Safety Agency's plans to stop the spread of Xylella fastidiosa in Europe.

lord gardiner of kimble: Certain subspecies of Xylella fastidiosa could be damaging to tree and plant species in the UK. We are pressing, at an EU level, for protections to be strengthened and will continue to keep this issue under review nationally. This includes taking account of the most up to date scientific information, including that published by the European Food Safety Authority, which has helped to inform the development of measures to protect against the disease and actions in response to findings within the EU. On the basis of the current evidence, Defra’s Secretary of State has written to the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Vytensis Andriukaitis to raise concerns about EU protections against the disease and urge stronger action. The letter also highlights that national measures could be introduced in the event that the appropriate level of protection is not forthcoming through the EU review. The Chief Plant Health Officer has written to businesses growing and trading host plants to encourage good biosecurity and careful sourcing of plants. Copies of these letters will be placed in the library. 



Letter to Commissioner Andriukaitis
(PDF Document, 176.17 KB)




'Act now to keep the UK Xylella free' letter
(PDF Document, 120.96 KB)

Agriculture

baroness mcintosh of pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they will put in place a negotiated UK framework for agricultural trade and policies between the nations and regions of the UK oncethe UKhas left the European Union.

lord gardiner of kimble: We are committed to working closely with the devolved administrations on an approach to returning powers from the EU that works for the whole of the UK and reflects the devolution settlements of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Common frameworks should only be established where they are needed, whether this is to maintain a functioning UK internal market, put us in a strong negotiating position to strike trade deals, or to provide the certainty needed to agree and meet international obligations. The Government expects that the return of powers from the EU will lead to a significant increase in the decision making powers for the devolved administrations.

Electric Vehicles: Batteries

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the proportion of used electric vehicle batteries that are recycled; and what proportion of such batteries they aim to be recycled following the end of conventional petrol and diesel car and van sales.

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assistance is available for the sustainable disposal or recycling of used electric car batteries; and what additional assistance will be provided to account for rising demand ahead of the end to sales of conventional petrol and diesel cars and vans.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009 ban the disposal of automotive and industrial batteries to landfill and place a responsibility on battery producers to recycle their batteries. It is therefore estimated that all automotive and industrial batteries are recycled. There are currently no plans for amendments to the Regulations, though we will continue to monitor the market. These requirements remain in place whether the vehicle relies on an electric or conventional power supply.

Home Office

Home Office: Ministers

lord green of deddington: To ask Her Majesty's Government who has held office since 1 January 2000 as (1) Home Secretary and (2) minister responsible for immigration; and what were the dates of their appointment.

baroness williams of trafford: Since 1st January 2000 there have been 8 Home Secretaries.NameAppointment BeganAppointment End DateRt Hon Jack Straw2nd May 19978th June 2001Rt Hon David Blunkett8th June 200115th December 2004Rt Hon Charles Clarke15th December 20045th May 2006Rt Hon John Reid5th May 200627th June 2007Rt Hon Jacqui Smith28th June 20075th June 2009Rt Hon Alan Johnson5th June 200911th May 2010Rt Hon Theresa May12th May 201013th July 2016Rt Hon Amber Rudd13th July 2016Current Since 1st January 2000 there have been 12 Ministers of State for Immigration.NameAppointment BeganAppointment End DateBarbara Roche28th July 199911th June 2001Lord Rooker11th June 200129th May 2002Beverley Hughes29th May 20021st April 2004Des Browne1st April 20046th May 2005Tony McNulty16th May 200523rd May 2006Liam Byrne23rd May 20063rd October 2008Phil Woolas3rd October 200811th May 2010Damian Green13th May 20104th September 2012Mark Harper4th September 20128th February 2014James Brokenshire8th February 201414th July 2016Robert Goodwill16th July 201611th June 2017Brandon Lewis11th June 2017Current

Pedicabs: Greater London

baroness stowell of beeston: To ask Her Majesty's Government what powers currently exist to prevent the operators of rickshaws and pedicabsplaying loud music on London's highways.

baroness williams of trafford: The Anti-social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014 introduced a range of flexible powers to make it quicker and easier for police forces, local authorities and other partners to protect victims and communities from anti-social and nuisance behaviour. This includes Community Protection Notices, Public Spaces Protection Order and Dispersal Powers. It is also an offence under section 97 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 for a person to use a motor vehicle on the road in such a manner as to cause any excessive noise. The police have the power to restrict noise from moving vehicles. The police also have the power under section 59 of the Police Reform Act 2002 to seize vehicles. This can be as a result of driving a vehicle in a careless and inconsiderate manner or driving a vehicle other than on a road, contrary to the Road Traffic Act 1988, or using a vehicle in a manner causing, or likely to cause, alarm, distress or annoyance to members of the public. The Home Office has not issued any guidance on the use of these powers. How these powers are used is an operational matter for the police.

Police: Biometrics

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many facial images are held on the Police National Database.

baroness williams of trafford: In July 2016 there were 19 million facial images on the Police National Database (PND), The information requested can be found in the "Biometrics Commissioner Annual Report 2017 (attached) which is published on the gov.uk website:www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/644426/CCS207_Biometrics_Commissioner_ARA-print.pdf



Biometrics Commissioner Annual Report 2017
(PDF Document, 2.4 MB)

Europe: Refugees

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether (1) the International Committee of the Red Cross, and (2) the Inter-Agency Standing Committee of the UN have been consulted about unaccompanied refugee children in Europe; if so, with what result; and if not, why not.

baroness williams of trafford: The UK is working collaboratively with EU Member States, NGO’s and International organisations, including British Red Cross, UNHCR and Unicef to indentify and transfer eligible children and ensuring the timely and efficient operation of the Dublin Regulation. Last month, the British Red Cross met with UK officials in Greece to discuss the operation of the Dublin process. In addition our secondees in Italy and Greece also work with Member States and relevant partners to provide advice and support on the process for transferring eligible children under section 67 in the future.

Slavery: Victims

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of how the 45 day reflection and recoveryperiod for victims of trafficking and modern slavery, under the National Referral Mechanism, is working in practice; and whether that time limit is 45 working days, or 45 calendar days.

baroness williams of trafford: Potential victims of modern slavery in England and Wales are entitled to a reflection and recovery period for a minimum of 45 calendar days, or until a conclusive decision has been made on their victim status. This meets and exceeds obligations under the European Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, which requires a minimum of 30 days of support. In practice, many potential victims are in support for more than 90 days.As part of the Government’s reform of the National Referral Mechanism, we are working with partners to assess how the current system works in practice and consider the support we provide to victims, to ensure that it enables them to begin to recover, rebuild their lives, and avoid future exploitation.

Radicalism

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 12 July (HLWS40), what definition of political and social extremism they used in the Home Office Review; and whether that definition included religious conservatism.

baroness williams of trafford: The review into the funding of Islamist extremist activity in the UK used the Government’s definition of extremism, set out in the Counter-Extremism Strategy published in October 2015. Extremism is the vocal or active opposition to our fundamental values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and the mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. We also regard calls for the death of members of our armed forces as extremist.

HM Treasury

Public Expenditure: Northern Ireland

lord kilclooney: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether release of the £1 billion allocated in connection with their confidence and supply agreement with the DUP is dependent upon the restoration of the executive at Stormont.

lord bates: We want to see the financial support for Northern Ireland decided upon and spent by a devolved government to benefit the whole community. It will be for the restored Northern Ireland Executive to determine how the additional funding is spent.

Public Expenditure: Northern Ireland

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much of the £1 billion additional funding for Northern Ireland agreed in June has been allocated to date.

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what requests they have received from departments of the Northern Ireland Executive for the £1 billion additional funding for Northern Ireland agreed in June; from which departments; and how much was requested.

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government which stakeholders they have consulted about the allocation of the £1 billion additional funding for Northern Ireland agreed in June.

lord bates: We want to see the financial support for Northern Ireland decided upon and spent by a devolved government to benefit the whole community. No funding has been allocated to date. The UK Government receives regular representations from departments of the Northern Ireland Executive on a range of matters of importance to Northern Ireland and the UK.

Police and Prison Officers: Pay

lord hoyle: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether pay increases during this financial year for police and prison officers will be paid for from existing budgets.

lord bates: As the Chief Secretary to the Treasury set out in the Written Ministerial Statement laid on 12th September, pay awards for 2017/18 for police and prison officers will be funded within existing budgets.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Gambling: Internet

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to incorporate a review of online gambling into the Triennial Review of Gaming Machine Stake and Prize Limits.

lord ashton of hyde: A review of gaming machines and social responsibility measures was launched in October last year. The call for evidence invited views on measures to improve social responsibility across the gambling industry. The review is nearing completion and we are aiming to announce the findings in October.

Betting: Internet

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to regulate the use of electronic data by betting firms and their affiliates to target online advertising at specific groups.

lord ashton of hyde: The use of personal data for the purpose of targeted online advertising is subject to safeguards found in the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Privacy and Electronic Communication Regulations 2003. Updated regulation will be put in place in May 2018 when the Data Protection Bill applies new standards, comprising those in the General Data Protection Regulation, specifically requiring, either clearer and affirmative consent from individuals to be sought, or applying additional safeguards where data processing is allowed in the absence of consent.  All betting firms are required to have a licence to operate from the Gambling Commission. A condition in the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice holds licensed operators responsible for the actions and behaviours of their affiliates. The Commission published an advice note earlier this year on ensuring direct marketing is not sent to those who have self-excluded from gambling. Operators and affiliates are required to comply with the requirements of the Privacy and Electronic Communication Regulations and the Data Protection Act, and the Information Commissioner’s Office may take enforcement action if there is evidence of a breach. The Advertising Standards Authority also has the power to take action if it were to receive evidence of irresponsible targeting, for example deliberately sending certain commercial messages to vulnerable groups in a way that exploited their vulnerability. This could be under general responsibility rules, in relation to the targeting, or specific rules on prohibited approaches regarding the content of the advertisement.

Department of Health

Health Services

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many specialised Sexual and Reproductive Health Services there were in England in (1) 2000, (2) 2005, (3) 2010, (4) 2015, and (5) 2017.

lord o'shaughnessy: Data is not available for all the years requested. Clinic codes have been collected since 2015-16 as part of the Sexual and Reproductive Health Activity Dataset (SRHAD), but this does not provide a precise count of services. In 2015-16, the number of different sexual and reproductive health service clinic codes in SRHAD was 856 across 129 providers which submit data.

Cataracts: Surgery

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adverse consequences for patients of restricting the use of blue-light filtering intraocular lenses, as laid out in the NICE draftguideline Cataracts in adults: management.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Government has made no such assessment. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has not yet issued its final clinical guideline on the management of cataracts and it would not be appropriate to pre-empt its final recommendations. NICE recently consulted on the draft clinical guideline and will take the comments it received in response to the consultation fully into account in developing its final guidance, due for publication in October 2017.

Cataracts: Surgery

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what were the exceptional circumstances that led to the addition of a review question on blue-light filtering intraocular lenses in the final scope of the NICE guideline Cataracts in adults: management.

lord o'shaughnessy: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has advised that there were no exceptional circumstances that led to the addition of a review question on blue-light filtering intraocular lenses in the development of its guideline on the management of cataracts. The draft review questions in the scope for the guideline referred to various aspects of lens design and, during the NICE Guideline Committee’s work on this area, the question relating to blue-light filtering intraocular lenses was added and subsequently signed off through all the normal processes. This is consistent with the normal way in which questions are refined by committees during guidance development.

Cataracts: Surgery

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what investigation they have conducted into evidence reporting lower incidence of age-related macular degeneration in patients with blue-light filtering intraocular lenses; and what account was taken of that evidence in the preparation of the NICEdraft guideline Cataracts in adults: management.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Government has not conducted any such investigation. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for developing authoritative, evidence-based guidance for the National Health Service. NICE will consider all the evidence fully in developing its final guidance on the management of cataracts due for publication in October 2017.

Oral Tobacco

viscount ridley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish (1)the assessments, and (2) the correspondence, held byPublic Health England regarding the toxicology of the smoking substitute snus, including any communication with government scientists.

lord o'shaughnessy: There are no current plans to publish any assessments or correspondence on the toxicology of snus.

Hepatitis

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government whetherthey have established the cross-agency expert group on viral hepatitis to provide strategic direction and advice around hepatitis C and other viral hepatitis, as announced in March.

lord o'shaughnessy: With the support of the Department and the Chief Medical Officer, Public Health England (PHE) has established a national cross-agency expert group, the National Strategic Group on Viral Hepatitis, to provide strategic direction and advice around all types of viral hepatitis, including hepatitis C. It will provide advice to PHE, the Department, NHS England and to the wider health system. The new group is committed to working towards the World Health Organization goal to eliminate viral hepatitis as a major public health threat and brings together partner organisations to improve health services, minimise the number of new infections and reduce the health consequences of viral hepatitis for people in England. A priority is addressing the cross-system operational barriers in case finding and treatment capacity.